Build an information infrastructure designed for the future

The four pillars of a robust industrial information infrastructure and how you can incorporate them into your digital transformation

Posted: October 09, 2022

Less than a decade ago, industrial plants worked in isolation, and organizations managed data with disparate on-premises systems for each operation. Now, the way we collect data, contextualize it, and share it across an organization and with partners has radically changed. These advances in digital technology allow us to integrate systems, find efficiency gains, and share information across organizations. We call these advances Industry 4.0, the industrial internet of things (IIoT), cloud data management, and many other terms that explain the new capabilities of digital technology.

Developments in cloud computing, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning incentivize businesses to shift to a hybrid cloud model that combines on-premises applications with cloud-hosted technologies in a single, trusted platform. A hybrid cloud architecture combines applications that gather data within a local control room and on the plant floor with those that are better suited to the cloud. Hybrid architectures for operations control provide the technological backbone for remote edge fleets, IIoT capabilities, or AI and machine learning. These technologies help you bring your data together in one place, provide disaster recovery, and reduce your hardware footprint.

Unifying your data across applications gives you more useful insights, helps your teams collaborate, and gives your workforce the tools and information they need to make decisions that impact the business. With quality, trusted data at engineers’ fingertips, you can focus on creating strategic value for your information—flagging potential risks earlier, identifying better ways to work, and fostering more effective partnerships with the wider ecosystem.

For a reliable flow of unified information, you need a robust and trusted information infrastructure. This infrastructure should be secure, and the right people should have access, whether that includes employees across the plant, or partners and vendors. The right information infrastructure is a key to becoming digitally mature organization, with IT/OT/ET all working from the same source of information.

What are the risks of not building a robust infrastructure for your industrial data? Many companies underestimate the risks and impact a data breach may have on their business. As businesses experience globalization, a corresponding rise in cybersecurity risks has followed these rapid advances in technology. According to most experts, companies do not protect industrial systems well enough. Be certain that any data architecture you implement includes built-in security measures to augment your own pro-active cybersecurity approach.

AVEVA helps industrial organizations achieve their digital transformation goals, so they can remain sustainable, secure, and profitable in today’s market. When you have the right information infrastructure and a data-driven culture in place, you are significantly more likely to gain the competitive edge from technological advances like AI and cloud-based solutions. In our latest white paper, we detail the four pillars upon which a robust information infrastructure depends. They are:

1. Governance—aligning information to IT security policy
2. Trust—implementing secure cyber practices
3. Management—empowering organizations, securely
4. Hybrid industrial architecture—synchronizing on-premises and cloud applications

Learn how AVEVA supports your digital transformation with our industrial cloud platform, AVEVA™ Connect.